Altan Öymen Library is Opened to Public!

The Altan Öymen Library, containing journalist and writer Altan Öymen's archive of approximately 12,500 books in Turkish, English, German and French languages, chronologically and thematically arranged magazines and newspapers that will enlighten future generations, has been opened at the Zübeyde Ana Culture and Art Centre in Levent neighbourhood.

Beşiktaş Municipality opened the Altan Öymen Library, which consists of approximately 12,500 books, magazines and newspaper archives of Altan Öymen, a former CHP chairman. Apart from Altan Öymen's participation, CHP Party Assembly Member Ali Haydar Fırat, CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik, CHP Beşiktaş District Chairman Alican Şen, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, many party representatives, journalists and citizens attended the opening of the library at Zübeyde Ana Culture and Art Centre.

Delivering the opening speech, Mayor of Beşiktaş Rıza Akpolat said, “We have experienced many special moments since the day we took office, but today we are experiencing the most special one. We are opening our library, which we named after Altan Öymen, our very valuable former chairman and who has been present in Turkish politics with many titles. We are very happy and honoured to be opening this library and bringing it to Beşiktaş. What our chairman collected throughout his lifetime, the relics of his journey from 1930 to today, were actually handed over to us. This is a great honour for us. I sincerely thank him for trusting us. Beşiktaş is of course a very special spot. Beşiktaş is one of the oldest historical settlements outside the city walls with three palaces, nine universities, hundreds of business centres, hotels and restaurants. It is a region where many of our students have problems in studying due to the lack of a library. As soon as we took office, we opened the Oruç Aruoba Library in Dikilitaş and the reading areas at Beltaş Pier and we have a library there as well. With the Altan Öymen Library, we have added the fourth area to Beşiktaş. It will be a duty of everyone here to carry everything entrusted to us by our honourable chairman into the future. This is a very special and useful area for students from universities in Beşiktaş to study and we are happy to bring this space and those books together with university students. This hall will host conferences and panels once a month. Therefore, we will both make our cultural centre a 24-hour living place and our library a 24-hour living place. This was a place that our neighbours also expressed a lot and was in need. We are very happy to have realised this.”

Speaking after Mayor Rıza Akpolat, Altan Öymen started his speech by thanking the Mayor of Beşiktaş, Rıza Akpolat, and said: “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this library. It was actually quite nice to work and be involved in this library. This is a part of the books I have collected throughout my life since the 1930s. Beşiktaş is a very special district. There are nine universities here. It is like the cultural centre of Istanbul. Other libraries and cultural events are also held here. I wish success to those who govern Beşiktaş. May our library be useful and beneficial.”

Following the opening ceremony, a panel titled “Local Elections in Turkey” was held with the valuable participation of Prof. Dr. Ersin Kalaycıoğlu and Altan Öymen.